The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-02-16
THE GAME OF WHIST.
Played for $50 Years According
to Edmond Hoyle."
Originally Called "Whisk," 1t was Played
by Plebeians Until Hoyle Modified 1t
and Made 1t Go Among
the Purple.

To be mt once the least known and the
most famous person in the whole world;
to leave a name which forever remains
synonym for accuracy and authority,
and which is daily on the tongues of
thousands of people; to have written
work which is ranked among English
classics and considered indispensable
to every well-furnished library, is the
unique position accorded to Edmond
Hoyle, Gentleman. There are probably
no readers of the Herald who have not
often referred to him as authority, for
to say that a thing is according to
Hoyle," means that it is exactly right
or correct, and is applied to many
things besides games of cards. And
yet there are probably but few persons
who use this, phrase who have any
knowledge whatever of the man they
quote.
1t is more than two centuries now
since this distinguished individual first
saw the light of day. He was born in
England in 1872, and was educated as
a lawyer. In his earlier years the
game Of whist as yet was not known,
. but there was game named whisk, a
very inferior and plebeian sort of game,
which also went by the name of swab-
bers. 1t contained the possibilities of
the royal game, but it had not yet
reached the purple. 1t was played by
four persons, to whom twelve cards
each were dealt, so that the beauties of
the "old trick" were not involved, and
the points were nine. Certain cards at
some period of the game were entitled
to sweep the board, hence the name
of whisk, a small broom or sweep.
Most people think we call the game
whist because it is q silent game, and
most of the dictionaries tell us the
name is so derived. but this is an error.
1t is merely a corruption
of the original name of the game, thus
modified when it was first introduced
into polite society. Edmond Hoyle,
lawyer and gentleman, had a greater
genius for games than for law. He
was probably of the same mind as the
lawyer mentioned by Bulwer in "Cax-
toniana." II can." said the latter,
make G500 year at my profession with
much pain and difficulty. can make
the same amount at whist without great
labor and with much pleasure. l,
therefore, prefer whist"
Hoyle abandoned the law, took up
whist, and became immortal, and more
than fifty years after his death Byron
wrote
Troy owes to Homer what whist owes to Hoyle
He seems to have studied the game Of
whist for many years, and thus learned
its great capabilities. He enlarged its
scope by playing with the entire pack
fixing the game at ten points. He was
man of good education, moved
in good society, and he soon made
the game fashionable. He gave it &
permanent, logical, and scientific form
called it whist, drew it from its OBJ
security, and gave it an authentic station
in the polite world. This was about
the year 1880. He became'so skillful s
player that people sought him as &
teacher, and in the course of his teach
ing he wrote out notes containing rules
and directions for playing, which hi
sold to his pupils. In Johnson's "Ram
BIER" published in 1850, fine lady Il
made to say: Papa made me drudge
at whist until was tired of it; and, fal
from wanting head, Mr.. Hoyle, wher
he had not given me above forty lessons
said was one of his best scholars" Ii
the Gentleman's Magazine for February
1855, in an autobiography, the writer
says:
'.Hoyle tutored me in several game:
of cards"
The novelty and great value OF these
manuscript rules were soon discovered
and surreptitious copies began to gel
into circulation, when Mr.. Hoyle, to Sc.
cure his copyright, had them published
in 1743, and in that way the famous
work originated. 1t was entitled: "a
short treatise on the game of whist
Containing the laws of the game and
also some rules whereby a beginner
may, with due attention to them, at.
tain to the playing it well. Calcutta